NC's Gov. Cooper Weighs In As SC Lifts Mask Mandate

NORTH CAROLINA — As the percentage of fully vaccinated North Carolinians moves into double digits, the state will not lift the longstanding mask mandate any time soon like its neighbor to the south, according to Gov. Roy Cooper.

The news comes as the state's top doctor said increases in vaccination supply coming into the state could possibly allow public health officials to expedite vaccine availability to Group 4, which includes those who are medically vulnerable.

Friday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced he was lifting the statewide mask mandate — a move Cooper said Tuesday he was not considering for North Carolina.

"We're going to listen to health officials, and health officials across the board continue to want to make sure that we have a mask mandate in place, that we wear masks to protect each other and ourselves," Cooper said during a news conference.

"We're still working on getting people vaccinated," he said. And while the percentage of positive COVID-19 cases is lower, the state needs to continue prevention efforts, he said. "We don't intend to lift the mask mandate in North Carolina."

North Carolina has fully vaccinated about 14 percent of adult residents, with 1.1 million of the state's almost 8 million adult residents fully vaccinated, Cooper said, calling it a "huge milestone."

"This puts us even closer to a time when we can hug our loved ones and gather without fear of severe illness," Cooper said.

The state's campaign to emphasize fairness in vaccination distribution in marginalized communities is also making headway, he added.

"In the last four weeks, over 20 percent of our first doses have been administered to Black North Carolinians," he said.

Earlier last month, Cooper said the state would be upping efforts to distribute vaccines in historically marginalized communities. In early Febryary, by comparison, less than 14 percent of vaccines had been administered in Black communities.

In a bid state public health officials say will enhance transparency about vaccination distribution in the state, North Carolina expanded data of county-level demographics for those receiving shots.

"You will now be able to see week-to-week progress of how we're doing to achieve our equity goals, both at the state level and by county," North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said.

Overall, vaccine supply continues to improve in the state, she said.

As of this week, North Carolina providers will receive 225,000 first doses that will encompass Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Cohen said.

Last week, North Carolina received about 80,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which only require one shot. The state, however, likely won't receive new allocations until the end of March, she said.

North Carolina expects to see near term increases in Pfizer doses coming into the state, and will continue to move forward to "Group 4," which includes adults at high risk for exposure and increased risk of severe illness, no later than March 24, Cohen said.

This week, a FEMA vaccination site is opening in Greensboro and increased numbers of vaccine doses will also be sent directly to pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership program — all allocations in addition to those the state receives directly from the federal government.

"We are seeing supply improve, which is why we're going to continue to monitor to see how quickly we can move to Group 4," Cohen said. "The latest we would go is March 24, but we would look to see if we could move that up soon."

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